Sign construction

ABSTRACT

A SIGH INCLUDES A CASING AND BEZEL SURROUNDING ONE SIDE THEREOF, THERE BEING A MANUALLY REMOVABLE MESSAGE PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BEZEL AND THE CASING, A SECOND MESSAGE PANEL PROJECTING FROM THE CASING AND BOTH MESSAGE PANELS BEING ILLUMINATED FROM A LAMP THEREIN, AND A PAIR OF PIN-AND-HOLE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BEZEL AND THE CASING.

Sgpt. 20, 1971 J. R. REICHOW SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 27. 1969INVENTOR. JAMES R lea/ovary TTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,605,303SIGN CONSTRUCTION James R. Reichow, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to TheCornelius Company, Anoka, Minn. Filed Jan. 27, 1969, Ser. No. 794,027Int. Cl. G09f 7/08 US. Cl. 40--63R 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREA sign includes a casing and a bezel surrounding one side thereof, therebeing a manually removable message panel disposed between the bezel andthe casing, a second message panel projecting from the casing and bothmessage panels being illuminated from a lamp therein, and a pair ofpin-and-hole connections between the bezel and the casing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to the constructionof a sign, and more particularly to one having a manually removablemessage panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A message panel is retained between a bezel anda casing of a sign, the message panel having a horizontal flange whichsupports the message panel and by which horizontal flange, when used asa handle, the message panel can be readily removed or inserted.Preferably, pin-and-hole connections are provided between the bezel andthe casing to facilitate assembly and disassembly therebetween.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a signconstruction which can be readily assembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a signconstruction wherein the message panel or panels can be manually changedreadily without use of any tool.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sign having areadily changeable message panel of such construction that the manner ormethod of changing a message panel will not be readily apparent to aperson unfamiliar with the sign construction.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a signconstruction wherein components are assembled together at final assemblyand are so held by virtue of the configuration of the components.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the presentinvention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon makingreference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheet ofdrawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating theprinciples of the present invention is shown by way of illustrativeexample.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sign provided in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the sign construction of FIG. 1,the same being shown partially in cross section taken at line II-II ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken at lineIII-III of FIG. 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of the present invention are particularly useful whenembodied in a preferred form of sign construction or sign, generallyindicated by the numeral on the drawing. The sign 10 includes a casing11, a bezel Patented Sept. 20, 1971 "ice 12, a number of message panels13, a lamp 14, and a second or further message panel 15.

The casing 11 is a sheet metal box or container which is closed at itsends 16, 17, at its bottom 18, at its back 19, and has a slotted top 20through which the second message panel 15 projects. At its front side,the casing 11 is open. If desired, a number of supporting feet 21 aresecured to the casing 11.

The open front side of the casing 11 is encircled by the bezel 12. Thebezel 12 has an upper flange 22, a lower flange 23 and a pair ofhorizontally spaced vertical flanges 24, 25. The upper flange 22 isdirected downwardly and is spaced horizontally forwardly from the frontside 26 of the casing 11. The lower flange 23 is directed upwardly andis similarly spaced horizontally forwardly from the forward or open side26 of the casing 11. Both the upper flange 22 and the lower flange 23are set back from the forward plane 27 of the bezel 12.

The message panel 13 is disposed within the bezel 12 between the casing11 and the upper and lower bezel flanges 22, 23. More specifically, themessage panel 13 is disposed between the upper and lower bezel flanges22, 23 which are in front of such message panel -13, and the verticallyspaced bezel flanges 24, 25 which are disposed at the rear side of themessage panel 13 for engagement with the rear side of the message panel13 at opposite ends of such panel 13. The message panel 13 has ahorizontal flange 28 "which projects away from the casing 11 to a planewhich is substantially flush with the forward plane 27 of the bezel 12.The horizontal flange 28 has a lower side which rests on the upper edgeof the lower bezel flange 23 and thus overhangs that lower flange 23 ina forward direction beyond such bezel flange 23. The message panelflange 28 extends horizontally as shown in FIG. 1 coextensively with thehorizontal length of the message panel 13. Thus, its forward faceengages directly with the rear of the upper and lower bezel flanges 22,23. The message panel 13 has a lower marginal edge 29 which extendsdownwardly from the lower side of the horizontal panel flange 28, andsuch downward extent is for a distance which is less than the distancebetween the upper edge 30 of the message panel 13 and the lower adjacentside of the bezel 12 located thereabove. The material of the messagepanel 13 is plastic and is of a type which enables some light to passtherethrough, so that it has a translucent appearance. If translucentpaint is used on such panel, the lettering thereon becomes illuminatedby the lamp 14, and of course, the panel itself is thus illuminated bythe lamp. By this construction, the message panel can be constructed asa plastic extrusion, cut to the desired length.

The second message panel 15 comprises transparent material such asplastic or glass and is secured to and projects from the casing 11, asbest shown in FIG. 2.. To this end, the second message panel 15 issecured as by a screw to a mounting bracket secured to the casing 1 1.The lower edge of the second message panel 15 is polished and isdirected within the casing so as to face the lamp 14 and to receivelight therefrom, thereby to illuminate the message panel 15 from within.The lettering illustrated is normally provided on the rear side thereofas shown in FIG. 2 so as to be seen from the front with a polishedappearance, whereby the lettering appears to be within the sign itself.

In order to removably secure the bezel 12 to the casing 11, as seen inFIG. 2, the bezel :12 is provided with a pin 31 which projects upwardlythrough an aperture in the lower side 18 of the casing '11. The pin 31is first inserted, and then the bezel is rocked to the position shown.Thus, the pin 31 forms part of a pin-and-hole connection between thebezel 12 and the casing 11, such pinand-hole connection being at oneside of the bezel. If

desired, that construction could be reversed so that the pin 31 would becarried by the casing 11 and project into a hole in the bezel 12.

A second pin-and-hole connection is provided between the bezel 12 andthe casing .11 at the opposite side of the bezel 12, and suchconstruction is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The bezel includes in thisconstruction a central web or divider post 32 to which a spring blade 33is rigidly secured as by a pin 34. The spring blade 33 can thus beflexed and has a hole that receives a pin 35 fixed to a bracket 36secured to the underside of the top side of the casing 11. If desired,the pin could be carried by the spring blade 33 with the hole insteadprovided in the bracket 36. Further, if desired, the spring blade 33-could be made rigid so that it in eflect is equivalent to the rigidbracket 36 with the rigid bracket 36 being made of flexible material sothat it in effect would be the spring blade 33. The spring blade 33 atthe pin 35 is deflectible in the direction of the axis of suchassociated pin 35, which in FIG. 2 would be toward the viewer, and whichin FIG. 3 would be to the right. The spring blade 33 has a cam surface37 which facilitates assembly.

To assemble the device, the lamp 14 along with its sockets 38, 39, astarter and a ballast (not shown) is mounted in the casing 11. If thesecond message panel 15 is employed, it would have been previouslyattached to the casing 11. Thereafter, the bezel 12 is disposed at thefront side 26' of the casing 11 with the pin 31 entering the hole in thebottom 18 of the casing 11. The bezel 12 is then rocked at its upperside so that the cam surface 37 of the spring blade 33 engagesthe pin 35to deflect the spring blade 33. As the rocking of the bezel 12 continuesto the position illustrated, the pin 35 enters the opening in the springblade 37 and the spring blade 33 pops or snaps to the position shown inFIG. 3, thereby securely holding the bezel 12 to the casing 11.Thereafter, each message panel 13 is grasped by its horizontal flange 28and the upper marginal edge is inserted behind the upper bezel flange 22and the message panel 13 is moved upwardly substantially as far as itcan go. Since the clearance above the upper edge 30 is greater than thedownwardly projecting extent at the lower edge 29, that lower edge 29freely passes over the upper edge of the lower bezel flange 23,whereupon the message panel 13 is lowered to the position illustrated.These movements are reversed in order to replace the message panel withone having a different message. This type of sign having a series ofmessage panels 13 is particularly useful in association with amulti-flavor beverage dispensing machine wherein the operator may, fromtime to time, wish to change the product that is associated or dispensedthrough any one of several valves. Thus, message panels 13 bearingdifferent brand names may be freely substitituted or rearranged inaccordance with the wishes of the operator. However, with thisarrangement, when a person unfamiliar with the construction sees thesign '10 as shown in FIG. 1, such person would not necessarily betempted to tamper with the message panels 13 since it is not readilyapparent from seeing such sign 10 that the panels could be removed in asfacile a manner as has been explained. Should it be desired to removethe bezel 112, manual access is readily had to the spring blade 33 whenthe adjacent message panel 13 has been removed.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versedin the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within thescope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonablyand properly come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing having a vertical side with an opening therein;

(b) a separate bezel secured to said casing and encircling said opening,said bezel additionally having an upper flange directed downwardly inhorizontally 4- spaced relation to said side of said casing, and a lowerflange directed upwardly in horizontally spaced relation to said side ofsaid casing, and defining horizontal upper and lower channels betweensaid side and said flanges; and (c) a message panel encircled by saidbezel and having marginal portions disposed between said side of saidcasing and said flanges in said channels, said panel having a flangelying in a horizontal plane and projecting away from said side of saidcasing and engageable with the upper edge of said lower flange forresting thereon.

2. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said panelflange extends substantially coextensively with the horizontal length ofsaid panel.

3. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said panelflange, in projecting away from said casing, extends to a planesubstantially flush with said bezel at the bezels forward plane.

4. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein said lowerbezel flange is set back from the forward plane of said bezel, saidpanel flange projecting in overhanging relation forwardly beyond saidlower bezel flange.

5. A construction for a sign according to claim 1, wherein the forwardface of said message panel engages directly with the rear side of saidbezel flanges.

6. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel;

(c) a pin-and-hole connection between said bezel and said casing at oneside of said bezel, and at the opposite side of said bezel a furtherpin-and-hole connection between said bezel and said casing;

(d) a spring blade secured to one of said casing and said bezel andsupporting part of one of said connections, said spring blade beingdeflectable in the direction of the axis of the pin of said one of saidconnections;

(e) said bezel having an upper flange directed downwardly in spacedrelation to said casing, and a lower flange directed upwardly in spacedrelation to said casing; and

(f) a message panel disposed within said bezel between said casing andsaid flanges, said panel having a horizontal flange projecting away fromsaid casing and resting upon the upper edge of said lower flange.

7. A construction for a sign according to claim 6, wherein said springblade is rigidly secured to said bezel remotely from said one of saidconnections.

8. A construction for a sign according to claim 7, wherein the hole ofsaid one of said connections is in said spring blade.

9. A construction for a sign according to claim 6 in which said springblade has the hole, and a cam surface engageable with the associatedpin.

10. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel secured to said casing, said bezel having an upper flangedirected downwardly in spaced relation to said casing, and a lowerflange directed upwardly in spaced relation to said casing; and

(c) a message panel disposed within said bezel between said casing andsaid flanges, said panel having a horizontal flange projecting away fromsaid casing and resting upon the upper edge of said lower bezel flange,the lower marginal edge of said message panel extending downwardly fromthe lower side of said panel flange by a distance which is less than thedistance between the upper edge of said message panel and the lower sideof the portion of said bezel lying thereabove.

l l. A construction for a sign, comprising:

(a) a casing;

(b) a bezel secured to said casing, said bezel having an upper flangedirected downwardly in spaced re- Refere Cit d lation to said casing,and a lower flange directed up- UNITED STATES PATENTS wardly in spacedrelation to said caslng;

(c) a message panel disposed within said bezel be- 3 5 11/1920 KofnlCkerX tween said casing and said flanges, said panel having 5 81978 4/ 1936Adler a horizontal flange projectingaway from said casing 2,156,2575/1939 Adler 33BUX and resting upon the upper edge of said lower bezel3,131,496 5/1964 PP flange; and

(d) said bezel having at least one vertical flange en- ROBERT MICHELLPnmary Exammer gageable with the rear side of said message panel at 10R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner one end thereof. 12. A construction for asign according to claim 11, US. C1.X.R. wherein said bezel has a secondvertical flange spaced 4() 132.(D) from said one vertical flange andengageable with the rear side of said message panel at the end oppositeto said 15 one end thereof.

